Lubricated stuffing-box



E. E. OSBORNE.

LUBRICATED STUFFING BOX.

APPLICATION FILEII Dc.23. I9I6.

Patented Aug. 9, 1921.

Invenor l van E SoPne/I 7F,

Brig. l.

UNITED STATES EVAN E. OSBORNE, 0F LOS ANGELES, CALFORNI'A.

LUBRICATED STUFFING'-BOX.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug'. A9, 1921.

Application filed. December 23, 1916. Serial No. 138,673.

ToaZZ 'whom t may concern Be it known that I, EvAN E. OsBoRNn, a

`citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and useful Lubricated Stuffing-Box, of which the following isa specification.

This invention relates to stuiling-boxes for the polished rods of oil well pumps and the like.

In the present practice the polished rods of oil well pumps 'enter the pump tubing through a stuffing-box, various forms of which are in common use,l and in the construction of this invention parts of a polished rod stuiiing box of common construction may be used as part of the device and the invention will be illustrated herein as constructed in part out of portions of the form of stui'ling-box catalogued as the NoXon stuffing-box, although it is understood that the invention may be applied by making slight changes in and additions to any form of oil well pump stufngbox with which I am at present acquainted, and that its use may be extended to the polished rod stuffingboXes of water pumps where desirable.

' 4It is also adapted for use in the stuffingboXes for the polished rods of sulfur and salt brine pumps and l do not intend to limit its use to any particular form of polished rod stufling-box.

In oil well practice new in vogue the polished rod is sometimes sutliciently lubricated by the oil being pumped, but at times accumulations of gas in the well blow the oil out, thus leaving the polished rod without lubrication excepting such as may be afforded by cup grease or hard oil which the attendant may place on top of the stuffing-box with a view to allowing the same to melt to afford lubrication when the polished rod becomes heated.

ln the practice now common it is necessary to pay particular attention to the lubrication of the polished rod, for the reason that if the gas causes a blow-out of oil the polished rod will get so hot by friction as to become rough and also to burn out the packing. It is also possible that lires at oil wellsk may originate from polished rods becoming hot for lack of lubrication.

The oil which is pumped by oilv well pumps usually contains sandand silt which wears the packing and also the polished rod,

so that there is usually leakage at the stuffing-box, and this has become a source of much loss, partly counteracted by collecting the leakage in sumps and then pumping the contents of the sumps into tanks; and in some instances the leakage from a single well in one year amountsto as high as 1,300 barrels. It is not uncommon in some wells where there is a large amount of sand, for a stuifv ing-box; at a single well to leak ten barrels of oil in a single night through lack of attention at that time. Vhere there is much sand to cause wear there is usually much gas; that is to say, the gas escaping keeps the sand stirred up in the well so that the tendency to wear and the tendency to run dry both practically occur at-the same time.

An object ofthis invention is to avoid the loss of oil yand the burning-out of the stuffingbox packing heretofore so common in oil well pumping practice.

The pressure of the gas against the top of the stuffing-box is often very great owing to various conditions'.

It is customary in many instances to pump directly from the well into a line pipe leading to settling tanks' or sump holes and said line pipes are often 600 feetyor more long.

It often occurs in oil well pumping practicein vwells of oil having an asphaltic base, that the thick asphaltic oil becomes stiff and clogs the line pipe into which the pump discharges, and the gas pressure in the wellin addition tothe pressure of the plunger on the oil causes a pressure in the stuffing-box of about 600 or 700 pounds, more or less, per square inch, and it is necessary in applying the lubricator to the stuffing-box that resistance to such pressure be provided for.

In some instances the pressure is so great that two or three hundred feet of sucker rod will be blown out of the pump tubing, and

` this isv likely to occur from explosions of gas heated 'or fired by a hotpolished rod.

It sometimes occurs that a well may run dry on account. of gas for a period un to two or three'hours, more or less, and Vat such times if the'pipe-line is clogged and the polished rod gets hot, thus heating the gas, an explosion is likely to occur, bursting the 'stufling-box or the pipeline or kpulling the tubing, particularly at the oint, and in some instances splitting the pump tubing at its weld for several feet along the length thereof. It also occurs sometimes that the pressure above the plunger of the pump will be so great that the walking beam will part the sucker-rod, so thatthe plunger will be stationary and the polished rod will be worked rapidly i'n the stuffing-box, thus creating great heat, and thereby increasing the pressure of the gas. Furthermore, in starting the wells to pump, the pump often is required to run from ten minutes to several hours without pumping any oil. v

It frequently occurs in oil well pumps that sudden spurts of oil will be expelled by the gasl and the pressure of the plunger, so that oil is driven out through the stuffingbox and spread over the ground, thus wasting many barrels of oil because or' the leakage of the stuiling-box, and in order to avoid this in some measure, it is customary with Some wells to pump directly from the oil well pump into a tank at the well and to pump from said tank into the oil line by a separate pump which is called a tail pump. In spite of all these losses and of the vast expenditures made to avoid such losses, there has been no practical remedy by which lubrication of the polished rod is insured v and the polished rod is stripped of the oil that passes up through the usual polished rod stuiling box. This invention is broadly new and pioneer in that I have provided above the stuiiing box of the polished rod of an oil well pump an oil stripping and collecting device to collect the oil from the rod and a drainage device to drain the eX- cess lubricant away from the rod. By adding this stripping and draining` device to the oil pump equipments I thereby save oil and also keep the stutling boX. y

An object of this invention is to construct a cheap, simple and effective lubricating stuffing-boi; for the polished rod of pumps which will obviate the diiiiculties herein enumerated heretofore existing with respectto lubrication, and which will automatically maintain lubrication for the polished rod irrespective of the oils being pumped.v

A further object of this invention is toV provide a pump with a drain for leakage from the stuffing-box and to allow the packing of the stuing-box to be tightened easily and without shifting the drain pipe, so that when it becomes necessary to tighten the packing, this may be done without withdrawing the drain pipe from the tank or barrel arrangedto receive the leakage, and with a minimum torsional strain on the tank or barrel.

In past practice much waste has occurred through allowing the wells to be untidy, allowing accumulations of ,oil to remain around the well so that while waste was apparent it was regarded as so common that the amount of waste could not Ybe determined. It is now becoming a practice at invention, polished rod clean vabove the f many wells to keep the premises free from waste oil and this is done at large expense costing in someinstances as high as $1700V to clean up a single untidy rig at one well.

An object of the invention is to make provision whereby the oil well pump, rig and its premises may be kept clean and tidy, free from the spraying oil which in the present practice is likely to spurt out from a leaking stuiiing-boX.

An object of the invention is to provide means whereby the work of compressing the packing 'in the stuling-box is facilitated.

An object is to provide a cheap, simple, easily-applied lubricator for a polished rod stuiiing-box which will automatically afford the lubrication necessary when the well is gassing, and which will collect any oil,leak age and conduct it to a receptacle Jfrom which it may be pumped to a tank or to the pump line.

Other objects, advantages and features of novelty may appear from the subjoined'detail description, the accompanying drawings and the appended claims.

rlhe invention may be carried out in various ways and the lubricating bowl may be applied to the stuffing-box with or without a swivel connection, and it will only i be necessary to show it herein in the form which is at present deemed preferable in `order to attain all of the advantages above enumerated and to, apply the inventionto the form of the stuffing-box which is at present in common use. i'

The accompanying drawings illustrate the Figure 1 is an aXial section on line m1, Fig.

2, of the invention as applied togan oil well i pump.

Fig, 2 is a plan of the saine viewed from p line 002, Fig. 1, parts being broken away to contract the view.

The pump tubing 1 provided with its lateral head-line 2, the vertical polished rod 3 and the stuffing-box bowl 1 are all of con mon construction, likewise the lower follower 5 and the packing rings 6 in tliebowl of the stuiiing-box. l i V rI he stu'iingbox cap 7 in the form shown is constructed out of a stock stuffing-box cap by boring out the upper orifice 8 to a larger diameter, and I provide inside said cap a swivel connection in thev form of a. follower 9, which has an upward and a downward extension and between its ends an annular flange 10 provided with a ball race 11. The inside under Surface. of the cap is provided with a. ball race 12. The flanged follower is made oi"- cast-ironprovided with a Babbitt lining` 13 to i'itthe polished rod, and rests upon the top of the packing 6 and is pressed thereoiito b vscrewing down the cap 7. Said cap acts through the race-ways and the balls 111, being'internally screwis in the form of a T fitting that surrounds the polished rod, the stem `ofthe T being horizontal and closed by closure 16, there being at the upper side of said stem, at a distance above the bottom of the bowl, a threaded orifice 17 into which .a drainage pipe 18 is screwed, the same being a nipple of suitable length provided at its outer'end with an elbow 19,l into which a nipple 2O is screwed.

A leakage baffle and collecting cup in the form of a bushing 21`concave on top and having a threaded pin 22 to screw into the upper end of the T and having an inner flange 23 t o closely encircle Vthe polished rod and having a depression 24 in the top face of said flange to collect the leakage which may accumulate from the polished rod, and direct such leakage down between the polished rod and the flange into the bowl thus provided constitutes a cap for the lubricant bowl a.

An oakum filling 25 1nay bel applied inside the lubricant bowl a and held crowded down by the cap bushing. The oakumlillinfr 25 serves as a stripper to strip from the roc the oil carried upby the rod 3 fromthe Vtubing 1. v Said oakum filling isv porous and the portion thereof lying, below the 'drainage orifice 17 becomes Afilled with oil as indicated `by the horizontal lines through the lower portion of 25 in Fig.` l. 'As the oil risesl to the orifice 17 it is drained away and the oakum above such level serves tostrip from thev rod the oil carried 'up from within the lubricatingbowl c. Y

It is thus seen that the rod Sis kept practically free from oilby employing rstthe packing 6 and the stuffing' box bowl lwhich is compacted against thefoil by the follower 9, 13; and the loose packing 25 in the lubricating bowl which not only serves'as a stripper but also asa-percolator to allow the 'said oil to drain out by gravity through the drainage orifice 17. In this way the oil is finally stripped'from the rod about the follower 9 and 13.- The oil in the'lubricating bowl serves as a lubricant on the down stroke and is especially serviceable `as a lubricating` bowl when thev pump is running without pumping voil through the tube 1. This occurrence is quite common in the oil fields on account'of the flowof "gasin some instances which 'may occur for a Yperiod of yhalf an hour more or less; and in other instances when the pump becomes sanded or b rloken and is not producing either gas'` or o1 When youv unscrew the lcap 7 and then raise the follower 9, 13 to takeout the old worn packing 6 and replace it with new, then the oil cup will drain. The follower 9,

`13 is not tight enough Varound the polished rod to keep. oil from flowing back from the bowl a'and'when the stuffing box 4 is replaced with fresh packing 6 and the follower 9, 13 is put back in place and the cap 7 screwed Atightly down against the follower 9, 13 compressing the packing 6, the bowl 16 is then dry of oil. The bowl may be moist but will be dry of any amount of oil. Vhen the ypumping operations are started, the oil will come up again and lubricate the polished rod. f

The methody of assembling the parts willL be apparent to those skilled in the art and in practical operation the oil lubricating the polished rodavoids theheating thereofV and consequenty roughening, wearing and leak- Vhen the stuffing-box and lubricator have ,beenv installed with or without the oakum filling, the lubricating bowl is filled through its open top with oil upto the drainage mg of oil incase the'v polishedV rod or the babbitting becomes worn. 1t is understood that by kscrewing the cap 7 down to tighten thek packing from time to time as leakage appears at the drainage pipe, the stuffing- `box will continue effective for indefinite long periods of time until the packing is nearlyworn away, and no leaking will occur. I claim: Y v 1.]A vertical rod yhavingfa stuffing box provided at its upper end with a bowl that surrounds the rod and is adapted tohold Vliquid lubricantsthereon; means at the upper end of the bowl for collecting leakage above and outside of the bowl and for di- -rectingthe leakage thereinto; a drainage pipe leading from the bowl near theV top thereof and loose packing material in said bowl for the purpose of stripping the oilL from the polished rod at the upper part-of the rod so as to allow the same to be drawnV off and yet to leave an accumulation of oil v2. A yvertical rod having a stuffing box i provided with a lubricant bowl surrounding the rod abovethe cap' of the stuffing box; means at the upper end of the bowl for col- 'lecting lubricant yleakage above and outside into the bowl; and-means surrounding'the of. the bowl and for directing such leakage rod between the cap and the rod and extending above the cap for connecting the lubricant bowl to the stuiiing box cap.

8. A vertical rod having a stufling box provided with a lubricant bowl surrounding the rod above the cap of the stuffing box; means at the upper end of the bowl for collecting leakage above and outside of the bowl and for directing the leakage thereinto; means between the cap and the rod and extending above the cap for connecting the lubricant bowl to the stuffing box cap; and a drain pipe leading from the bowl near the top thereof to conduct leakage away from the bowl.

4. A vertical rod having a stuiiing box comprising a packing bowl provided with an upwardly extending swivel connection; a-

lubricant bowl connected to the upper end of the swivel connection and surrounding the rod; and means at the upper end of the lubricantbowl for collecting leakage above and outside of the lubricant bowl and forl directing the leakage thereinto.`

5. A vertical rod having a stufling box -comprising a packing bowl that surrounds 6. A vertical rod having a stuiiing box comprising a Vpacking bowl provided with an upwardly extending swivel connection; a. cap connected to the upper endof the bowl and fitting loosely over the upward extension of the swivel connection; a lubricant bowl connected above the cap to the upper end of the swivel connection and surrounding the rod; means at the upper end of the lubricant bowl for collecting leakage above and voutside of the lubricant bowl and for directing the leakage thereinto; and a drain pipe leading from the lubricant bowl at a distance from the bottom thereof. l Y

7. AA vertical rod having a stuffing box comprising a packing bowl provided with an upwardly and downwardly extending swivel connection; packing in the bowl; a cap connected to the bowl; a lubricant bowl connected to the upper end of the swivel connection. and surrounding the rod; means at the upper end of the lubricant bowlv for collecting leakage aboveand outside of,v the lubricantbowl and for directing the leakagev thereinto; means connected with the swivel connection to compress the packing in the packing bowl; and anti-friction means part and adapted to surround the rod and to contain the lubricant therefor; and -means at the upper end of the lubricant bowl for collecting leakage above landzoutside ofthe lubricant bowl and for directing the leakyage thereinto.

9. On a vertical rod, the combination with a stuiiing box comprising a packing bowl that surrounds the rod, of a cap threaded onto'thebowl; a follower surroundingy the rod and having a iange within thercap and a threadedpart extending" upwardly from the cap; a lubricantbowl screwed onto said part and adapted to surround the rod and to contain the lubricants therefor; means at the upper end of the lubricant bowl `for collecting leakage above and outside of the lubricant bowl and'for directing the leakage thereinto; and anti-frictionV means between-the4 cap and the flange ofthe follower. 10.V The combination with Ya'vertical rod having a stufhng box, of a lubricantv bowl connected at its lower end tothe stuHing box and adapted to surround .the rod; a cap connected with the upper'end .of the lubricant bowl', the-cap having means for collecting leakage above the cap and for directing the leakage into the lubricant bowl; and a draining pipe leading from thelubricant bowl ,at a distance from the Vbottom thereof to conduct leakage away from the upper part of the bowl.

11.011 a vertical rod, the combination with a stufling box comprising a ,packing lbowl that surrounds the rod, of a cap threaded. onto the bowl; a follower surrounding the rod and adapted to compress packing` in the bowl and having a flange within the cap andy an upward extension .through and above the cap; a lubricant bowl leakage above and outside of the lubricant bowland for directing the leakage thereinto.

12.A` verticalrod having a stuffing box provided at its upper end with a lubricant bowl that surrounds the rod and is adapted to hold liquid lubricants on lthe rod; means at the upper end of the bowl for collecting leakage aboveand outside of the'bowl and for'directing the leakage thereinto; a drainage outlet in the bowl near'the top thereof;

of any escaping oil and retaining suficient' oil to lubricate said rod. v

14. A vertical rod having a stufling box provided at its upper end with a bowl that surrounds the rod and is adapted to hold liquid lubricants thereon; means at the upper end of the bowl for collecting leakage above and outside of the bowl and for direct- .c

ing said leakage thereinto; a drainage pipe leading from said bowl near the top thereof, and means in said bowl for wiping the vertical rod of any excess oil and retaining sufficient oil to lubricate said rod.

15. A` vertical rod having a stuffing box provided with a lubricant bowl surrounding the rod above the cap of the stuiiing box; means at the upper end of the bowl for collecting lubricant leakage above and outside of the bowl and for directingv such leakage into the bowl; and means surrounding the rod between the cap and the rod and extending above the cap for connecting the lubricant bowl to the stuing box cap; and means in said bowl for wiping said rod of any escaping oil and retaining suiiicienty oil of said escaping oil to lubricate said rod.

16. The combination with pump tubing provided with a lateral outlet and a polished rod operating in said tubing; of a stuiling box surrounding the polished rod and connected to the upper end of the tubing; packing in the stuffing box; a follower to compressthe packing; meansto force the follower onto the packing; an oil collecting bowl connected to the upper end of the ollower and provided with a drainage orifice near the top of said bowl; percolating packing in the bowl to wipe oil oil of the polishing rod; and means at the top of the bowl to retain the percolating wiper packing and to conduct any oil which may be carried by the rod above the percolating wiping packing into the top of said packing so that it may iow down to fill the lower part.

17. A vertical rod having a stuiing box provided with a lubricant bowl surrounding lthe rod above the cap of the stuffing box;

means at the upper end of the bowl for collecting lubricant leakage above and outside of the bowl and for directing such leakage into the bowl; and means surrounding the rod between the cap and the rod and extending above the cap for connecting the lubricant bowl to the stuiling box cap; means in said bowl for wiping said rod of any escaping oil and retaining suiiicient oil of said escaping oil to lubricate said rod.

kIn testimony whereof, l have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles, California, this 16th day of December, 1916. e

EVAN E. OSBORNE.

Witness:

JAMES R. TowNsEND. 

